Baffert Gets 15 Days; Charlatan and Gamine DQ'd for Lidocaine Positives
July 15, 2020
Hall of Famer Bob Baffert has been suspended 15 days for previously announced lidocaine positives found in post-race samples from two runners on Oaklawn Park's May 2 card, GI Arkansas Derby division winner Charlatan (Speightstown) and allowance winner Gamine (Into Mischief). The Oaklawn Park Board of Stewards has also disqualified both horses from their wins [...]
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Sunday's Racing Insights
June 20, 2020
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-BEL, $64K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:50 p.m. Wesley Ward has a pair of Keeneland-based juveniles entered in this spot. Breeze Easy's Roderick (Into Mischief) was a $550,000 KEESEP yearling and is a full-brother to two-turn GSW One Liner. He hails from the extended female family of highest-level winners Albertus [...]
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Published Workouts: Inaccuracies are Inexcusable
May 15, 2020
Like many issues in racing, the inaccuracy of published workout times is something we who are firmly planted in the industry have all just accepted as the way it is. Quote a breeze time to any trainer, owner or serious horseplayer and they'll tell you why it's pointless. “Official” times of works, and rankings, bullets, [...]
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Sunday's Insights: Rising Star Resurfaces at Gulfstream
May 2, 2020
11th-GP, $46K, Alw, N1X, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 5:57 p.m. ET AURELIA GARLAND (Constitution) was the first of what would be 29 winners from her phenom sire's first crop last term, and she'll finally look to pick up where she left off here, almost exactly a year since her head-turning unveiling. The $185,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad [...]
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With Just Two Tracks Running, Post Times Still Collide
April 22, 2020
Under normal circumstances, with many tracks running on a busy Saturday afternoon, it's not uncommon to see races at different venues go off on top of each other. The occurrence usually leads to a flurry of frustrated tweets, with bettors, fans and even racing participants wondering why the issue can't be remedied–it seems like it [...]
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Two COVID-19 Positives at Turfway; Churchill Reopening Remains Up in the Air
April 22, 2020
A pair of workers at Turfway Park–one backstretch worker and one track employee–have tested positive for coronavirus in recent weeks, according to a report first published by Blood-Horse. Turfway's parent company Churchill Downs ended the Turfway meet–which had been being conducted without spectators–three days earlier than scheduled last month, citing Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear's “Healthy [...]
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Sunday's Racing Insights
April 18, 2020
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-GP, $46K, Alw/OC ($75K), N1X, 3yo, 1mT, 4:25 ET ERJ Racing and Gary Barber's PATROL (Liam's Map) takes on an experienced group of foes as he looks to remain unbeaten in his turf debut Sunday. A $190,000 KEESEP yearling, he was the second-priciest juvenile to sell at Keeneland April last [...]
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Saturday's Racing Insights: Son of Dreaming of Anna Debuts Makes Tampa Debut
April 17, 2020
7th-TAM, $20K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT Frank Calabrese homebred BIG DREAMING (Declaration of War) makes his first start for conditioner Mike Stidham here. He will be the sixth foal to race out of 2006's champion 2-year-old filly Dreaming of Anna (Rahy), who is already responsible for GSW Dreamologist (Tapit); speedy GISP young sire Fast Anna [...]
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A Month of Answering Questions as a Quarantine Betting Coach
April 14, 2020
Much has been said and written about racing's opportunity during the coronavirus pandemic to capture wagering dollars typically directed towards sports betting or spent in casinos, and I'm happy to report that two of my closest friends have done their part in contributing to handle over the past month or so. Neither are complete rookies, [...]
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OBS to Press On With March Sale
March 13, 2020
The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company reiterated its decision to continue on with its March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday, amid COVID-19 concerns which have prompted Keeneland to cancel its April 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale scheduled for Apr. 7 and Fasig-Tipton to cancel its Apr. [...]
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Mason Springs Ventures to Ocala
March 13, 2020
Marcus and Crystal Ryan's Mason Springs will consign two juveniles at next week's OBS March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. It'll be the Aiken-based couple's first time selling horses at an auction other than the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale–they'll offer an Exaggerator colt (hip 162) on Tuesday and a filly by Not This Time (hip 486) on [...]
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OBS March Still a Go Amid Coronavirus Concerns
March 10, 2020
The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training will continue as scheduled, OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski told the TDN Tuesday. The decision comes as organizers and administrators for institutions and events around the world grapple with just how seriously to take the Coronavirus outbreak. “We're monitoring the situation, but we [...]
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